Life After the Disaster
by VetiosusSerpens
Summary: It's been four months since the chandelier fell at the end of the Phantom's Opera. What new surprises lie in store now that the theater is ready to reopen? ALW Moviebased with elements of Leroux. This story will eventually be MegErik.
1. Four Months

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except for the original characters Maria, Amelia, and Isabella.

Chapter 1

Four Months

Four months. Four months had gone by since the disaster at the Opera Populaire. Since the night the Phantom of the Opera had caused the giant chandelier to come crashing down, destroying much of the theater. Four months, and not a soul had heard anything of the disappearance of Christine Daae, the Vicomte de Changy, or the mysterious Opera Ghost.

Most believed all three to be dead. The most popular rumor floating around among the ballet rats was that the Phantom had killed the Vicomte and Miss Daae, and afterward had taken his own life. And at the head of this rumor was none other than Little Jammes, the girl making it sound more horrible with every chance she got to retell her tale.

"Christine begged and begged the wretched man for the life of her lover, but the Opera Ghost would hear none of it. He took his magical lasso and hung the Vicomte, right there in front of Christine! She was forced to watch as the man she loved died, right before her!" At this point, Little Jammes' eyes were wide, her breath coming quickly as she got into her story. "And do you know what he did next?"

"What?" Maria, another of the ballet rats and Little Jammes' best friend, asked.

"He took Christine by the shoulders and shook her roughly. Telling her that she must love him."

As if to demonstrate her point, she grabbed the closest dancer, which turned out to be Meg Giry, and shook her as hard as she could.

"She refused though. She told him she could never love a beast such as he. And then another lasso appeared out of no where! He took it, and used it to strangle poor Miss Daae to death!"

Gasps went up among the corps de ballets, all of them standing there in wonder, all except for Meg. She had managed to remove herself from the black haired ballet dancer's grasp, going over to stand on the sidelines. Rolling her eyes at the utter stupidity of the story, she couldn't believe how anyone could believe the blatant lies, let alone how Jammes could stand there and tell them everyday before practice. She might not know what had happened down below the opera house that night, but she knew the Phantom did not kill the Vicomte and her best friend.

Not even a week after the accident, for that is what the papers had been calling it, a terrible accident, Christine had written a letter to Meg. She told her how the Phantom had let her and Raoul go free, and that they were just fine. In fact the couple married almost immediately and were now living only a few miles outside of Paris. Meg was to keep this information to herself, at least for a while. Christine feared the Phantom was still alive and after everything that had been done, she didn't want to hurt him with the news that she had married the man he hated so. She would wait until the theater reopened, for she had assured Meg at the time that it would reopen, and then the new Vicomtess would arrive with her husband.

Even with Christine's reassurances that the Opera Populaire would indeed reopen, Meg had been weary. For certain she thought that Messieurs Andre and Firmin would flee as soon as they got someone to take the opera house off their hands. But instead an envelope had arrived with more than enough money to pay for repairs. The opera had since been restored to its former glory, new singers, dancers, and musicians had been hired, and now the company was planning its comeback. In two days time the doors would reopen and the first opera in four months would be played before an almost completely full house.

Many people were excited and wished to attend, but try as they might, Andre and Firmin could find no one to occupy box five. Even the managers, who knew first hand that the Opera Ghost had been silent for months, were not brave enough to take the box.

None of that mattered though, Meg was just happy to be able to dance again. It had been far too long since she had felt the thrill of being onstage, the thrill that only dancing could give her. This time would be different though. She was no longer Meg Giry, the little ballet tart, but instead, Meg Giry, Prima Ballerina of the Opera Populaire. She had earned the new position after La Sorelli left, the former Prima Ballerina refusing to come back. She had told the managers that like La Carlotta, she had had enough of this life. Constantly looking over her shoulders, always watching what she said for fear of angering the Opera Ghost. She wanted to live her life in peace, and the only way to do that was to leave the Paris Opera House for good. She would have no problem finding work else where, she was an excellent dancer and the Opera Populaire wasn't the only place in France that hosted ballets.

Meg, along with Little Jammes, Maria, and another girl by the name of Amelia, had all tried out for the coveted spot of Prima Ballerina. They all knew the prestige of the title, how not only would the girl finally be taken seriously by the other members of theater and no longer looked at as a simple "ballet rat", but she would also get her privacy. Having to share living space with twenty other girls who did nothing but gossip and sneak in and out through the night was the main reason Meg had even bothered to try out. Never had she thought that she would get the spot. She knew Maria and Amelia wouldn't get it, no matter how good they were, they both lacked the focus and the drive to truly make them great.

Of course those two wouldn't get it, even the newest of the rats were certain that neither girl could win over the managers, Monsieur Reyer, and Madame Giry. And they were quite right. Though both girls tried their hardest, they were told that even though they both were promising and had talent, they did not have what was needed to be the Prima Ballerina. While these events surprised no one, except it seemed Maria and Amelia, none of the corps de ballet were prepared when Little Jammes was told that she also, did not have what it took.

Meg remembered well the look of indignation on the face of Little Jammes, how she along with half of the dancers had been shocked to find that she didn't have enough discipline to take on the role. All eyes at that point had turned to Meg.

"All these years you have shown much promise. Ever since your mother first started to teach you the art of ballet, you stood out. And now my dear, we would be honored if you would be the new Prima Ballerina," Monsieur Reyer said kindly as he smiled at Meg.

"Yes, yes! We shall have new posters made immediately. And on them will be a painting of our new Prima Donna and Ballerina, La Isabella and La Giry!" Andre said, excited about how much money would come in once the pretty face of the Little Meg Giry was on the posters throughout Paris.

"No Monsieur, please. I really don't want to be on the poster, nor do I wish to be known as La Giry."

"If you insist, but I think it sounds better than La Meg."

"No, if my name must go on the poster, than please just let it be small and let it only read Meg Giry."

"But, why?"

"Andre, if that is what the girl wishes, then let us just keep it that way," Firmin said, not really caring what she went by as long as she danced as well onstage as she had just moments before.

"Thank you Monsieur," Meg had said softly as she turned to leave the stage.

While she was grateful for the opportunity to show off her dancing skills, she did not wish to be treated any differently than she had before. Plus she knew that there was the very real chance that Isabella would possibly try to run her out of the opera house if not only was her name right next to hers on a poster, but if she had to share picture space with a girl who, until recently, had gone almost completely unnoticed. No, Meg was just fine with the title of Prima Ballerina, she needed nothing else.

"It's just too bad that the Phantom had to off himself before he could have taken care of Meg," Little Jammes said loudly, snapping the other girl out of her thoughts.

Meg simply ignored her though; she was all too used to hearing these things. Little Jammes, along with the others, felt for certain that the only reason Meg had been able to secure the position of Prima Ballerina had been because of her mother. They all told stories about how Meg was about as graceful as an elephant when she was in her pointe shoes, but the worst of all came from Little Jammes.

Just as she told all that would listen her own version of what happened the night of the disaster, so did she tell what she believed to be the truth with Meg. By now most of the little rats thought her nothing but a whore, since apparently she was the mistress of both managers and of Monsieur Reyer as well. For according to the gossiping ballerina, that would be the only way that someone as untalented as Meg could ever move beyond standing in the background, waving a flower around.

"I guess it must be sad for you Meg that the Phantom isn't still around, for if he was, then you could sleep with him as well. Then I bet he would make sure his good little whore got La Isabella's spot by threatening the managers!"

"Enough of this! Jammes, hold your tongue. It is not proper for young girls to speak with such language," Madame Giry said as she walked onto the stage, ready to start practice. "Everyone, get into first position right now, we have much work to do before opening night!"

…

High above the stage in rafters, the man known as the Phantom watched on. He couldn't help the small half smile that came onto his face after the way Madame Giry had reprimanded Little Jammes. Oh how he longed to rid his opera house of the inept dancer, who seemed more concerned with the latest rumors than with actually doing well onstage. No matter how many accidents had occurred, or how many threatening notes had arrived, it seemed that nothing would scare her enough to make her leave. If only he had no qualms about harming women, then it would be so easy to let one of his Punjab lasso's slip around her little neck, much in the same way she said he did to Christine. That would surely teach the girl never to speak of things she did not know.

But for now it seemed he would have to be content with letting Madame Giry take care of the troublesome girl. He only hoped that she wouldn't destroy the opera's opening night with her careless flouncing about the stage. With one last look at the practicing dancers, the Phantom of the Opera made his way back to his home, far below the stage of the Opera Populaire.


	2. The Glass Room

Chapter 2

The Glass Room

Meg sat on her bed, slowly removing her toe shoes from her aching feet. The practice had been hard, especially on Meg who was expected to stay long after the other girls had finished. Now after seven hours of dancing straight, the little blonde wanted nothing more than to just lie down and sleep for the rest of the night. It might have only been six o'clock, but she was far too tired to do anything, even getting changed to go and eat with the others was too much of a chore at the moment. Plus, she reasoned that she needed all the sleep she could get, tomorrow being the opening night and all.

Stripping out of her leotard and tights, Meg pulled on her soft cotton night dress, already feeling better now that she was out of the constraining ballet uniform. Sighing as she slipped into bed, she enjoyed the feel of the smooth satin sheets beneath her skin. She closed her eyes, drifting off almost immediately, something that a month ago would have been impossible in the crowded dormitory where she once lived.

Her peaceful sleep that night would be short-lived, for no sooner had it seemed that her exhausted body finally got the relaxation that it needed, then a loud knock at her door startled her awake. For a moment Meg wasn't sure what had happened until she heard the sharp knock once again.

"Who's there?" Meg called out quietly.

"It's me Meg, open the door quickly," Little Jammes called from the outside.

Curious as to why the girl who seemed to hate her so much would be at her door, Meg got up quickly and let her in.

"Oh Meg, hurry! Come quickly!" she said as she grabbed the tired dancer by the arm and began to pull her out of the room.

"Wait, I need my dressing gown and slippers."

"There isn't time, we have to hurry!"

Little Jammes gave Meg no time argue as she managed to get her out of her bedroom and pull her behind her, running quickly through the backstage area.

"Jammes, what's going on?" Meg asked, now fully awake and completely aware of how the hard wood did nothing to help her bare, sore feet as she pounded after the taller dancer.

"Oh it's horrible, it's horrible!" she screeched.

Knowing she'd get no answer from the overly dramatic Jammes, Meg just continued to run after her, trying her best not to lose her. Suddenly Little Jammes came to a stop, almost causing Meg to run into her.

"Now, what was so urgent that you had to get me out of bed and rush here?" Meg asked as she looked around the ballroom.

The room was eerie and completely silent. Meg had been in the ballroom many times before, the last time being when she had attended the ill-fated Bal Masque, but she had never been there when it was so completely deserted.

"Hurry, go and stand there," Jammes said as she pointed to the decorative circle in the middle of the staircase. "You can see it from there, oh it's so horrible!"

Wanting to leave as quickly as possible so that she could crawl back in the warmth of her bed, Meg decided to humor Little Jammes and went to stand where she had indicated.

"Now what exactly am I supposed to be seeing?" she asked as she looked around slowly, though she saw nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing that could be described as "horrible".

"Remember the night of the masquerade?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with what you want me to see?"

"Don't you remember how we all wondered where Monsieur le Vicomte de Changy disappeared to when he went after the Phantom?"

"Yes," Meg answered tentatively.

"Well, now you're going to find out."

"What do you-"

Meg didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Little Jammes pressed a small button at the head of the stairs, the floor giving away under the startled ballerina's feet. She screamed as she fell the short distance to the ground beneath the staircase, the momentum sending her crashing into one of the many mirrors. Meg held her small hands over her head as best she could, trying to protect herself from the raining shards of glass. Fighting to stay conscious she looked up through the hole she had fallen through and saw Little Jammes peering down, a smirk on her lips.

"Wh-why?" Meg asked softly, her head spinning.

"Good night Meg, and don't worry, I'll do an excellent job in your role in Hannibal."

"Please don't leave me!" she cried sharply.

"I'm sure someone will find you in a few days, after all, they'll just think the Phantom is back and that he kidnapped you like he did Christine. Eventually someone will think to look here, and if they don't, maybe I'll remind someone of this place."

"No, please!" Meg called, her body wracked with sobs from pain and thought of being stuck down there. "Please come back!"

But it was too late, Little Jammes had already walked away and the trap-door closed, plunging the mirrored room into darkness. Meg allowed a few tears to slip from her eyes before her body finally lost its battle with consciousness.

…

The past four months had certainly been hard for the Phantom, not only had he lost the woman that he loved, but he had lost her to a man, who in his mind was unworthy of her love. If only Christine could have looked past his wretched face, then maybe they could have had a chance. He knew she must have felt something for him, otherwise, why would she have saved him from being run through by the Vicomte's sword?

Shaking his head, he was determined to drive those thoughts from his mind. He'd drive himself mad if all he did was think about what could have been with the lovely girl. Erasing her from his life had been easy. When it had been safe for him to go back to his home, he took all the things that had reminded him of her, at least those that were not destroyed by the mob, and burned them. Every last drawing, piece of clothing, and opera written for her had been burned.

Even with every physical memento gone forever, the dark-haired beauty still managed to somehow haunt his mind. He'd dream of her on a regular basis, and it was always the same. She'd come back and wake him from his tortured sleep with a soft kiss. Then she would tell him how she had been wrong, that she could feel nothing for Raoul but the friendship they shared as young children. Oh how his heart would soar at the revelation that she loved him and only him.

But then it would be over. He'd wake up and once again be back in his lonely world, a world without Christine.

And so he had taken to walking his tunnels at night. At least they seemed to temporarily take the angelic singer off his mind. Even if it was only for a few hours, he was grateful. A few hours without thinking of her, without thinking of how she could never be his was a blessing. Especially when he was doomed to live the rest of his life alone, with no one but himself and his thoughts of Christine for company.

His quiet walk that evening was disturbed though when he heard a scream followed by the crashing sound of glass breaking. Narrowing his eyes behind the mask, he walked quickly to the entrance of his room of mirrors. He tore open the door violently, ready to see who dared not only to trespass in his tunnels, but also had the nerve to destroy his property.

Seething he looked down, seeing the broken body of a petite young girl. His anger quickly faded away as he moved to step over her, shards of the mirror crunching underneath his boots. Kneeling carefully, as to avoid the glass scattered around her form, he gently moved the hair around her face. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was none other than Madame Giry's daughter, Little Meg!

Knowing that he couldn't leave the hurt girl where she lay, he made the decision to take her back to his home. With great care, he removed the reflective glass from her once flawless skin that was now scattered with cuts and scrapes. Trying his best not to wake her, he slowly lifted the slight girl into his arms, her cold body pressed firmly against his chest. Wondering what he would do with a most likely frightened and hysterical girl when she woke up, the Phantom steadily made his way through the underground labyrinth, to his home.


	3. Mademoiselle

Chapter 3

Mademoiselle

"I want her found! She would not just disappear, I think I know my own daughter better than you Monsieur," Madame Giry said as she paced back and forth.

Andre and Firmin had been trying to calm the ballet mistress for the past hour, but it seemed that nothing they said could appease her.

"Madame Giry, I assure you that we have all the stage hands we can spare looking for your daughter, but it is possible that if she does not want to be found she just might not show up until she's ready."

"And pray tell Monsieur Firmin, why would she not want to be found?"

"Perhaps the pressure of being the Prima Ballerina is too much for her."

"If my daughter had these fears then she would come and talk to me about them, not run and hide. And she would never do that, dancing is her life. I very seriously doubt she would suddenly develop stage fright."

"But it could happen, in any case, we would appreciate it if you would prepare Jammes to go on in your daughter's place should the need arise," Andre said, knowing that she was the only dancer competent enough to go on for Meg.

"That girl cannot dance the part. Her movements are too awkward and she does not have the patience to dance with the grace needed."

"Bu-but someone must go on! How can we do the opera without someone dancing the main role?"

"Then I suggest that you find my daughter."

Madame Giry didn't say another word as she walked away from the two flustered managers.

"Excuse me Messieurs," Little Jammes said to the managers once she was sure that Madame Giry was out of earshot. "I don't know if this means much to you, but I know Meg's part in the ballet and I would be happy to dance it for you if she does not come back in time."

"Oh thank God!" Andre exclaimed. "We won't have to refund any of the money. The show can still go on as planned."

"Yes, it can. But I still think we should make an effort to find Mademoiselle Giry, otherwise her mother just might refuse to teach the girls all together."

"I hate to interrupt," Little Jammes said softly, still standing there and listening to every word that was said. "But I think the Phantom might have gotten her."

"What do you mean?" Firmin said as he turned to look right at the ebony-haired girl. "If the Phantom is still alive, why would he want Meg Giry? He has never once shown any interest in the girl."

"She was Christine's best friend though. Maybe he thinks that he can lure her away from Monsieur le Vicomte de Changy by taking her best friend."

"Girl, what is it that makes you think that the Opera Ghost or for that matter the Vicomte or Miss Daae are even still alive? Aren't you the one always talking about how they must be dead?"

"That's true Monsieur, I believed that up until last night. You see I was walking back towards the dormitories when I saw Meg heading to the stage. I thought it strange that she would be up so late, so I followed her. She seemed like she was in some sort of trance, just the way Miss Daae looked on occasion. Anyway, I kept a good distance behind her so she would not see me. She went and stood in the center of the stage, then all of a sudden a black shape came out of no where and grabbed her. The poor girl didn't even get a chance to struggle when he released a trap-door below the stage and they fell through. It had to be the Phantom, who else could it be? And what other reason would he have to take Meg unless he thought that Miss Daae was still alive?"

"Why did you wait until now to tell us this?" Andre asked.

"Only because I was frightened by the thought of what the Opera Ghost would do to me!" she wailed. "I was afraid he would try to kill me! But now I know that the only important thing is trying to find Meg. I'm so sorry that I didn't say anything before now."

"It's quite alright dear, we understand. Why don't you go rest before the performance? We'll alert the stage hands to your news and see if they have a better chance of finding Mademoiselle Giry."

"Yes Messieurs," she said as she walked off the stage, a satisfied smile on her thin lips.

…

Pain. That was the first thing Meg was aware of when she opened her eyes. Her left arm was sore and littered with cuts, but that did not compare to how her head felt. Slowly she reached her hand back and let it gently touch the back of her head. She could feel the dried blood matted against her now tangled hair as her fingertips applied the slightest of pressure.

Moving her hand away, she began to take in her surroundings. She knew for sure that she was no longer in the room of mirrors, but she was also not back in the safety of her own room. Then where could she have been? The black curtains around the large bed did not look familiar; neither did the red crushed velvet sheets currently covering her form. Was it possible that she was no longer in the Paris Opera House?

Maybe someone had found her and taken it upon himself to take her to a hospital. But then again, no hospital that she knew of had accommodations this nice.

Slowly sitting up, Meg waited a moment for the sharp pains in her head to subside before pulling back the curtain. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the room before her. Now things were familiar. Oh she knew exactly where she was. In fact, only four months ago she had been here herself. She was in the Phantom's lair.

Somehow she wasn't frightened by this prospect. After all, when she came down here against her mother's orders it had been to warn the man of the mob coming after him. No matter what he had or had not done, Meg didn't think he deserved whatever the mob planned to do to him. And she owed it to Christine. She knew the girl wouldn't want her former teacher killed, it wasn't in her heart hate anyone so.

But it seemed she had arrived too late, for the Phantom was gone. All that had been left was a small, white half mask. Meg had scooped the mask into her hands and taken it with her, though even now she didn't know why. Perhaps it had been her curiosity that had caused her to take one of his possessions, or perhaps she had secretly hoped that if he survived he would come looking for the mask. Maybe then she would be able to get the answers about what had happened to her friend.

Still though, why would she be here of all places? If the Phantom was alive, then wouldn't it have made more sense for him to leave this place? He was a wanted man, and who knew what the authorities would do if they got a hold of him.

'Not that they could really do much though. He certainly can't be convicted of crimes that there are no witnesses to,' she thought to herself as she slipped from the bed, her bare feet hitting the cold stone floor.

Finding a way out was going to be hard she reasoned with herself. Especially when she felt so dizzy and light-headed that she could pass out at any moment. Forcing all the negative thoughts down inside her, Meg made herself begin to walk.

She took in everything around her, looking for anything that could possibly lead her out of the underground maze. But with tunnels and doors all around her and even more passages out beyond the lake, she began to wonder if she could ever find a way out. It had been so simple before when she thought about it, but now it seemed as if she could spend her entire life down here and still be no closer to getting home.

What if she really was trapped down here, forever? She'd never get to see her mother again. A single tear slipped from her eye as she thought about dying in this place, completely alone.

With the last of her hope gone, so went the last of her strength. Her knees buckled beneath her and she waited for the pain she knew would come. Meg gasped when, instead of hitting the hard floor, she was grabbed from behind by a pair of strong arms.

…

What had he been thinking? Why had he been so foolish as to bring another woman to his underground home? And not just any woman, oh no. He just had to take Christine's best friend. As if he didn't think of her enough, now he had Little Meg Giry to constantly remind him of what he had lost.

He knew he was just setting himself up for another disaster, a repeat of what had happened with Christine. No, he couldn't let it get that far. He'd just take care of the girl and send her on her way when she was healthy enough to leave. Maybe even before then if she was too frightened to stay.

Sighing to himself, he stood from his crouched position on the bathroom floor. He had just finished preparing a bath for his "guest", knowing that when she woke she would want to remove the blood and dirt from her body. He just hoped she would wake up.

Many times had he seen careless scene changers fall from the rafters, striking their heads. And more often than not they could not be awoken from their state.

He sincerely wished that Meg did not share this fate. While he really did not know the girl, he wouldn't want the pain her death would bring to her mother. Madame Giry had been the only person besides Christine to ever show him any kindness.

Walking from the bathroom, he stood outside the door for a moment before deciding that he would try to wake the girl himself. That way if he couldn't bring her back, then at least he could get her to a hospital.

Moving quickly, he found himself in the main room of his home, right behind a very unsteady Meg. Not even thinking, he took two large strides and caught her before she fell.

"You shouldn't be up," he said simply as he righted the tiny girl, careful to keep an arm around her shoulders should she fall again.

Meg's eyes widened as she looked up into his face, knowing that the masked man before her was the Phantom. Her shock faded quickly enough, but instead of being replaced by fear or revulsion as he had expected, she only stared at him in confusion.

"What?" he ground out, harsher than he had meant to.

"Your mask."

"Yes, what about it?"

"Why are you wearing the mask from the masquerade ball?"

"Because Mademoiselle, it was the only one not destroyed by the mob you led down here!"

"I didn't lead them down here!" she shouted back, not in the least intimidated by the man before her. "I ran down ahead of them to try to warn you!"

"And why would you do that? Why would you want to warn a monster?" he spat back.

"I did it for Christine. I knew she wouldn't want you harmed."

"Don't you dare speak her name in my presence!"

"Fine!"

"Now Mademoiselle, I think you should get cleaned up. You're completely filthy."

Meg grit her teeth together to keep from saying something she'd regret. Her mother had always told her to be polite, no matter what the circumstances. "Do you have somewhere that I can clean myself, or should I just wade about in your lake?"

"Right this way Mademoiselle," he said as he led her to the bathroom.

"My name is Meg."

"I assure you I am quite aware of your name Mademoiselle."

"If you know it, then use it. Stop calling me Mademoiselle."

"Very well Meg," he said as he stopped outside the bathroom door.

"And do you have a name or should I just call you Monsieur Phantom?"

"What does my name matter?"

"In polite society when a lady asks for a name it is usually given."

"Look around you; I hardly think the rules of society apply down here. And unless my eyes deceive me, I see no lady either."

Meg didn't respond, instead she stomped her little bare foot onto his boot-clad one and disappeared into the bathroom. He stood there stunned for a moment before a small chuckle escaped his lips.

"You'll find clothing that you can dress yourself in after your bath. I'm sure they'll be too big but it's the best I could do. And to answer your question, my name is Erik."


	4. A Friend

Chapter 4

A Friend

Of all the places to be stuck at, it had to be with that arrogant man. At least when she had been trapped in the room of mirrors there had been no one to taunt her. As she sunk gently into the warm bathwater, Meg found herself longing for anyone but Erik to be her companion.

The Phantom she could deal with. He was a man of few words and would have already had her back to her mother by now. More than likely she wouldn't even be in this position if it was the feared Opera Ghost that had found her, for sure he just would have left her there. Maybe send a little note to her mother about where she could find her daughter and then he'd be on his way.

But Erik was something she couldn't prepare for. He seemed rude and impolite, and yet at the same time he was kind enough to draw her a bath and lend her some of his clothing to wear. She knew at once that the clothes sitting in the chair in the corner had to be his. They were too nice to be something that he just would have find lying around the upper levels of the opera house.

What confused her the most though was why would he give her things that looked to be some of the finest bits of clothing that he owned? A beautiful white silk shirt, dark charcoal dress pants, and a belt of the softest leather she had ever felt were certainly not things that she would expect him to let her wear.

Knowing that she could sit in the rapidly cooling water for days pondering the mystery of this phantom man, she dunked her head under the water and began to wash her hair. She scrubbed as gently as she could, trying not to irritate the mass of cuts that would certainly take a while to heal.

Resurfacing and pushing the soaked strands from her eyes, Meg noticed the water had turned a light pink color from all the blood washed from her hair. Taking the clean smelling soap from the edge of the tub, she began to lather her body, wincing as it seeped into her cuts.

Rinsing off quickly, she rose slowly from the bath on her still unsteady legs and pulled the plug to let the water rush out. Meg dried herself and slipped into the clothes left for her by Erik. While they were definitely too big as he had said they would be, at least they were warm and clean. She couldn't ask for much else.

Finally feeling better than she had all day, she stepped from the bathroom and into the hall. Not knowing where she should go, she walked to the main room. Erik was there, sitting at a small table as if he had been waiting for her.

'He probably has been waiting for you. I'm sure he wants you out of here as quickly as possible,' she thought.

"Are you hungry? I'm afraid it's not much, but it's better than nothing," he said as he gestured for her to sit before the plate of bread, cheese, and apple slices.

Curiously, she made her way over and took a seat. This had not been the way she had expected to be greeted when she returned from her bath. But she found herself not able to refuse his offer of food since she had skipped dinner the other night and was certain that breakfast had already been served in the kitchen above.

"Would you like some wine to drink or should I fetch you some water?"

"Water please; I'm afraid Maman wouldn't like me to drink."

"Your mother isn't here Meg, you should do what you want, not what others want."

"I am doing what I want," she said forcefully as she cut a bit of cheese off of one of the slices with her fork and scooped it into her mouth.

"Again, your mother isn't here and there's no potential patron to impress. There's no need for manners. If you're hungry, then eat. Stop teasing yourself with tiny little morsels," he said as he went to go fetch the water jug.

Meg was seething as she shoved a whole piece of cheese into her mouth. How dare he imply that she couldn't think on her own. It wasn't her fault that her mother had raised her to act like a young lady and not common trash like so many of the other ballet girls.

Erik returned moments later with fresh water and poured her a glass. No longer caring what he thought of her, Meg snatched the cup from his hand before he even had a chance to set it back on the table. She let the cool liquid glide down her throat as she drained the glass of half its contents.

"I take it the food was to your liking?" he asked, clearly amused.

Looking down at her plate, Meg realized that while she was thinking about Erik and how he annoyed her, she must have finished off the rest of her meal.

"It was very good, thank you," she said, knowing that even if he couldn't be polite, she should be.

"If you're still hungry I could get you something else."

"No, I'm fine. I've stayed here and put you out long enough. If you could just please take me back to the opera house I'd appreciate it."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not!" she yelled.

"You're not well enough to travel more than a few steps at a time."

"I'm perfectly fine," she said, standing and walking over to him.

Meg smiled triumphantly before a wave of light-headedness washed over her and her knees gave out. Erik once again caught her before she could fall and carried her over to the bed she had slept in before.

She noticed for the first time that it was not the swan bed that had been there four months ago, but instead an ornate canopy bed. "Did the mob destroy the other bed?" she asked curiously.

"No, I did," he said simply, laying her down on the soft sheets.

"Why?"

"Because it reminded me of someone that I would rather never be reminded of again. Now get some sleep."

"I can't. I have to get back to the opera house. I go on tonight. I can't let Maman down, not when she always dreamed that I would become a Prima Ballerina."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," he said as he pulled his pocket watch from his coat. "It's already well past eight o'clock, and besides that, you'd never be able to dance in your condition."

"Oh, I never should have gone with Jammes!" she whispered harshly to herself.

"And what does that little disgrace of a dancer have to do with anything?"

"She came to my room last night, telling me that I just had to follow her. She had me go all the way to the ballroom and then stand in the center of the stairs. She said that I could see this 'horrible' thing, but I didn't see anything. Then she kept asking me if I remembered when Monsieur de Changy jumped down that hole after you. I told her I did and she let me know I would see exactly where he went. I don't know what she did, but I fell through the same place he did. I called for her to get me out, but she said she might send someone to find me after she danced my part in Hannibal. Oh I should have known better than to trust her," she scolded herself.

"Then why did you?"

"Because ever since Chris- my best friend left, I haven't had anyone except for my mother. None of the other girls ever liked me very much since they thought I always got all the good dancing parts because Maman is the ballet mistress.

"Then when Sorelli left and I became the Prima Ballerina, it got worse. They'd play nasty little tricks on me. One time, the plaster in my pointe shoes was broken so that during rehearsal I kept falling all over myself. Then another time they stuck a dead rat in my bed.

"If that wasn't enough, Jammes started telling the other girls that I slept with Monsieur Reyer and even the managers. And I can't forget that she even implied that I would go to bed with you all so you would threaten Messieurs Andre and Firmin to give me the lead in the plays we put on.

"I guess I just hoped that when Jammes came to me last night, that maybe she was sorry for what she had done and that she would want to be my friend." The last part came out very softly as she made herself comfortable in the large bed, her eyes drifting shut.

"I'll be your friend Meg," Erik said without thinking.

"Ok," Meg said sleepily as she gave a little yawn. She fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, I'm glad you all like my story. And I'm also glad that there are people just like me that think Erik and Meg belong together. I mean why would Erik ever want a chorus girl when he can have a bendy ballerina?

TheatreAngel: I promise I'm not trying to drive you insane by not updating every day, I just don't get a chance to write as often as I'd like. I hope this chapter will hold you over.

Pleading Eyes: I went and read your song phic and I think it's amazing. And you're right, it is interesting how Raoul and Christine are missing in the beginning of both of ours.

Aidail: Thanks for taking the time to review. It means a lot.

Mysweetphantom: Yay! Another Erik/Meg shipper. I just can't get enough of them together.

Nannon: Thanks for reading!

CelestialGlowEquivalence: Your comments always make me laugh. And my friend Sami who Beta reads my story for me completely agrees with you about Jammes. But unfortunately, as I've told her, I can't kill Jammes off. At least not yet…

Plaid Skirts: Thank you so much for your review.

Jessi: I adore you for reviewing! Thank you!

SiriusAllPunked: Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you're enjoying it.


	5. A Note

Chapter 5

A Note

What was wrong with him? For the life of him, Erik couldn't figure out why, not only had he brought Meg down there with him, but had offered to be the girl's friend. In fact, he didn't even know what had possessed him to utter those words.

'Maybe it's because you see some of yourself in her. The loneliness, the despair, desperately wanting to fit in,' his inner voice taunted him.

"Shut up," Erik said as he began to pace around his bedroom.

He was perfectly content being alone, he always had been.

'Now you know that's not true,' the voice mocked. 'You wanted to spend the rest of your life with Christine, didn't you? And you were the one who asked her to save you from your solitude.'

Erik sat down heavily on his bed, knowing his own thoughts betrayed him. He really didn't want to be alone, but what choice did he have? He could never be a normal man, not with a face like his. Society would never accept him, why should they? Even his own mother had been disgusted by the son she bore.

But then there was Christine. For once he thought that maybe someone could see him for more than the monster he was thought to be. If only she hadn't removed his mask, maybe then things would be different, had she not seen his face. He couldn't blame her for not loving him, not when she had Raoul. The Vicomte could give her a normal life; she could be happy. He would have to be satisfied with that now. At least one of them could live the life they wanted.

"I can't be thinking of her now," he said to himself.

Meg had to be his first priority at the moment. He needed to get her well and then on her way. Who knew what could happen if she stayed for an indefinite amount of time? Not that she would ever want to stay with him. What kind of woman would actually choose this life? Forever in darkness, trapped with a creature most people feared.

Erik made up his mind then. If when the morning came Meg was able to travel he would take her back up to the opera house. Then he would be rid of her and the distraction the little blonde had already started.

But first thing's first. Erik gave a small smile as he fingered the sealed envelope in his right hand. Rising swiftly he left his room. He had a letter to deliver to a certain ballerina and he wanted to be sure that it would be there, waiting for her after the performance.

…

"Madame Giry, where is Meg? I thought she was to dance the lead tonight?" Christine asked as she met with her old ballet teacher.

"I'm afraid no one can find her. When she was late for rehearsal this morning I went to look for her, but she was gone. I know Meg wouldn't just disappear without giving me an explanation."

"You don't think…he got her, do you?" Raoul asked hesitantly, not wanting to upset the older woman.

"No, I don't, despite what Jammes says," she said simply.

"What has she been saying?" Christine asked curiously, though she knew that Jammes' word could not be trusted.

"She said she saw Meg get up in the middle of the night and head to the stage. And then the Phantom supposedly came from out of no where and took her with him."

"I don't believe it for a second," Christine said firmly.

"But Christine, he did it to you, maybe Jammes really did see him take Meg," Raoul said, remembering the performance of Don Juan Triumphant.

"No Raoul, if it had been anyone else saying that, then maybe, but Jammes is a liar and always has been. Plus, why would Erik take her? He has no reason to."

"He told you his name?" Madame Giry asked, clearly shocked. It had been years before he let her know his name, and she had been the one to rescue him from the gypsies.

"Yes, I asked him once, while he was giving me singing lessons. It was before I even knew he was the Phantom. I guess since I didn't know who he was, he figured a name wouldn't matter."

"If he doesn't have her, then what could have happened?" Raoul asked. He might not know Meg well, but he was concerned all the same. The few times he had spoken to her she seemed polite and kind, and definitely not the kind of girl to just run off.

"That's exactly what I'm wondering, Monsieur."

"If you'll let us, we'd like to help search for her. It's possible that she's not even in the opera house any longer," he said.

"Thank you, I would be grateful for your-"

Madame Giry was cut off as Little Jammes' shrill scream rang through the corridor. A few seconds later the terrified girl ran past the ballet mistress and Christine. She probably would have kept running had Raoul not caught her arm.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She didn't say anything as her wide eyes stared into his, she was completely terrified. And Christine knew exactly why. The evidence was there in her hand. She had received a message from the Phantom.

Taking the letter from her loose fingers, Christine began to read aloud.

"Mademoiselle Jammes, I don't know how you found the switch to gain access to my room of mirrors, as I assure you it was well hidden and I don't believe you are smart enough to have discovered it on your own, but should you ever open the trap-door again you will regret it. I do not make idle threats so I suggest you heed my warning. On that note, should I ever find so much as a scratch on Meg that was not an accident in nature, know that I will hold you personally responsible. You are lucky that your little trick only caused minimal damage to my property and that Miss Giry was not seriously injured. When you find that you are able to compose yourself, let Madame Giry know that her daughter is safe and being taken care of. Tell her that as soon as she is well enough, I will bring her back. I remain your obedient servant, O.G."

"What did you do?" Madame Giry asked, her tone low and dangerous.

"I only meant for her to be out of the way, I swear I didn't try to hurt her. I swear it," she said as she turned to the Vicomte, hoping he would believe her. But one look and she knew he didn't trust her.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Madame Giry repeated.

"It was only a little joke. I led her to the ballroom and got her to stand on the trap-door. When the repairs were going on I saw one of the workers trip a button that opened the door. I felt around and I found it, I just thought it would be a harmless joke. She fell and I heard the glass shatter and I got scared. I was afraid of what you would do to me, that's why I made up the lie about the Phantom. I never thought he'd really take her! Oh that vile creature must be torturing her! I'm so sorry!" she cried as she fell to her knees, sobbing.

"I doubt he's hurting her, he wouldn't have written the note if that was the case."

Christine looked at Raoul in shock. Never would she have thought she'd live to see the day when he would defend Erik's actions.

"We'll wait until the morning, if he hasn't brought her back then Raoul and I will go look for her," Christine said.

"Thank you," Madame Giry said sincerely, grateful that they were willing to help her daughter. "And you Jammes, if you ever do anything like this again, I would fear my wrath more than the Phantom's."

…

A/N

Another chapter completed! Yay for me! Sorry it's taking so long to get these chapters out, but I have almost zero free time. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this even if it is a little on the short side.

CelestialGlowEquivalence: I'm afraid I don't know what 'Forbidden City' style is. Though if you would explain it to me, I'm sure I could work it in if Jammes is to meet an untimely death. Also, I'm so glad you like my story enough to check everyday for updates and I'm sorry I can't update everyday. I wish I could, I would absolutely love to do nothing but sit at the computer all day and write. But unfortunately there's this horrible thing called a job which I have, yuck! If only I could make my boss realize that writing phanfiction is far more important than answering the telephone.

dancing-by-moonlight: I'm glad you like my story. And I know exactly how you feel, Meg/Erik phics are hard to find, which is part of the reason I decided to write my own. I'm so happy that you like how I wrote Erik, I was always afraid that he would be a little out of character, but I figured Meg just happens to frustrate and intrigue him to the point that he drops his guard around her slightly. Don't worry, I haven't completely abandoned his brooding nature, I mean, what else is he supposed to do when Meg isn't around? And as far as Meg goes, I always figured she'd be stronger than Christine. Physically they might be equal, but Meg is definitely not the weaker one mentally. Besides, in the movie Meg seemed stronger anyway. I really think she would have used the mirror passage to go all the way down to Erik's home had her mother not stopped her. And then at the end of the movie she deliberately ignored her mother when she told her to stay behind. Somehow I just can't imagine Christine disobeying Madame Giry. And thank you for all your wonderful comments! You made my day.

Forensic Photographer711: Thank you so much for taking the time to read my phic. I know Erik sounded a little out of character at the end of the previous chapter, but I hope the beginning of this one shows why he did it. I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

Warriormaid 3000: I love Erik/Meg phics too! For some reason I just always thought that they belonged together. I'm glad you liked the "I'll be your friend" line. For a while I was debating whether or not to put it in since it is out of character for him. But then I figured after everything that Meg confessed to him that it would be a natural reaction to try and comfort her, so the line stayed in. I love PotC, but I completely forgot about that scene! So I went back and watched the movie, and there it was. I guess it was just somehow stuck in the back of my mind. I thought, even though Meg was a ballet girl, her mother always seemed to have good manners and would probably have taught her daughter to act the same way. And since Meg was made the Prima Ballerina she would need those manners more now because she'd likely, along with the Prima Donna Isabella and any other important cast members, be expected to entertain potential patrons.

TheatreAngel: Thank you so much for taking the time to review! I'm glad you like my story enough to keep coming back. I really hope you like this chapter even though there isn't any Erik/Meg interaction in it.

Mysweetphantom: I'm glad you like my reason for why Erik wants Meg. This is something I repeat on a regular basis to one of my friends who thinks Erik and Christine belong together. She always tells me about their true love and how she thinks that Erik really couldn't love someone else. So one day after we argued many different points back and forth I finally just told her "Why would Erik want a chorus girl when he could have a bendy ballerina?" And it managed to shut her up. I guess she figured Erik would, in the end, appreciate Meg's "skills" more than Christine's singing around the lair all the time. I mean, I think there's only so much "Think of me, think of me fondly…" that he could take before he finally would throw her in the lake. By the way, I don't dislike Christine, I just think that Raoul is her true love and that she could never feel anything more for Erik than friendship. Not that I don't like the occasional Erik/Christine phic, but I tend to stay away from them for the most part because Raoul always seems to end up either more obsessed than Erik at some point or violent towards Christine. And to me that completely goes against his character.

avid reader: Thank you for reading. I hope you like this chapter.

Wow! That was a long author's note. Once I start typing my individual responses I just can't seem to stop. Now that I'm all done, thanks for reading. I'll try to have the next chapter finished as soon as I can.

As a side note, has anyone read Susan Kay's Phantom? I heard it's good and I love Leroux's book. I think my library has a copy of it so if you all think I should read it, let me know.


	6. Time To Go

Chapter 6

Time To Go

Meg woke sometime later, not quite sure how long she had slept for. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got out of bed, her legs much more sturdy than they had been. Testing her limits, Meg walked steadily to the main room, where Erik's organ sat. There was a constant dull ache at the base of her skull, but other than that she was beginning to feel back to her old self.

Now she just had to find Erik. Then he could take her back to her mother and she could perform in Hannibal. She just hoped her mother hadn't worried too much, she'd have hated to put her through that.

"Erik?" Meg called softly, glancing around the room for any sign of the man.

She tried calling his name a few more times, but got no answer. Walking down the long hallway away from the main room, Meg began to search for the Phantom. The first few doors held nothing that concerned her; a storage room, the bathroom she had used before, and a small library.

Meg smiled at the sight before her as she opened the door to the next room. There Erik was, spread out on his bed and sleeping peacefully.

'He must have been exhausted,' Meg thought to herself as she noticed that he had not changed out of the clothes he had been wearing before. In fact, he hadn't even pulled the covers up around his body.

Quietly she crept over and sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to disturb him. For reasons that escaped her, she was fascinated by watching him sleep. There was an innocence about him that she was sure no one ever saw when he was awake.

Unconsciously her fingers traced over the mask he wore, the porcelain cool to the touch. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized what she was doing, though she did not pull away. Instead she moved away from the mask and began to gently rub his left cheek.

Not for the first time she wondered what exactly the mask concealed. Meg knew he had been born disfigured, after everything that happened she had managed to convince her mother to tell her the story. Even though she had been there the night Erik was unmasked by Christine, she didn't have a clear view of his face. His back had been to her and although she could not see him, she was in the perfect spot to the expressions of horror on the faces of those in the audience.

It was at that moment she had felt an overwhelming sadness in her heart for the man that lay tranquilly before her. All those people frightened simply because he was different than them. Even with all the stories going around among the dancers and stagehands, she had never feared the Phantom. She couldn't even fear him when he brought the chandelier down, creating chaos and panic among all those around her.

"If you would ever let me see your face, I promise I wouldn't run from you," she said in a barely audible whisper. "I wouldn't leave, I wouldn't cry, I wouldn't scream. I'd see you for who you are, a man, just like everyone else."

Once again she brought her fingers to the mask; her hand straying at the very edge. It would be so easy to remove it and take a small look. But she couldn't do that; she knew that if she ever saw his face it would have to be Erik that did the unmasking. She could never do something like that to him, especially after Christine had done it to a full house of people.

Faster than what seemed possible, Erik had her tiny wrist locked in his tight grip. She stared startled into his eyes.

"What do you think you're doing!" he hissed.

"Nothing, I was just watching you sleep. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be in here. It's just, I was looking for you. I'm feeling much better so I thought you could take me back. When I found you sleeping though, I didn't want to wake you."

"You didn't want to wake me but you thought it would be fine to try and remove my mask, didn't you?" he questioned angrily as he let go of her arm and got up from the bed.

"No, I would never do that! You don't deserve to be treated that way. I am curious to know what you look like, but I wouldn't take your privacy from you like that."

"Well I'm sorry that you missed the grand spectacle during my opera, but there will be no repeat performances," he said sarcastically. "Now leave for a moment, I need to get dressed and then I'm taking you back to your mother."

Meg nodded and left the room, thinking not for the first time that this man deserved so much better than what he got.

…

Erik shuddered as she closed the door behind her. He was frightened by the emotions she was making him feel. Especially after her little confession. He had awoken just in time to hear her speak. But instead of letting her know, he just laid there and feigned sleep. He so wanted her words to be true, even though in his heart he knew that the moment she saw his face, she'd forget all of what she had said.

When he felt her hand move from his face to his mask, he panicked. He hadn't meant to scare the girl, though he supposed it was better this way. If he remained cold and cruel, perhaps she would keep her distance.

Determined not to have another repeat of Christine, Erik dressed quickly and left his room. In the hall, on the floor, sat Meg. She glanced up and gave a small smile after hearing him shut the door behind himself.

Grabbing her arm roughly, he hauled her to her feet. "Let's go, I've already exhausted far too much of my time watching after you."

He didn't give her a chance to respond as he pulled her along behind him. Meg tried her best to keep up, her little bare feet padding after him.

"Get in," he said as he climbed into the boat.

Knowing that he wouldn't help her, Meg carefully walked into the cold water of the underground lake and pulled herself into the boat. Not wasting another second, he began to steer the boat through a series of canals, Meg keeping a watchful eye on exactly which ones he took.

After a few minutes of complete silence, save the splashing of the water, Meg couldn't take it anymore.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked, her soft voice sounding louder than usual.

Erik considered the question for a moment. Of course she hadn't done a thing to warrant his foul mood, but he couldn't tell her that. He needed to push her away, and the truth might draw her closer. "Yes, you have," he answered simply.

"Then will you please tell me what it is that I've done? If I did something wrong, then I should know so I can apologize and try not to make the same mistakes in the future."

"You disturbed my peace! I would have been better off if I had left you where I found you!"

"Then why didn't you if I've been such a bother?" she retorted angrily.

"Because it was the least I could do for your mother. She helped me once and I couldn't betray her by leaving her only child trapped and injured."

"Well thank you, I appreciate what you did for me."

"There's no need to thank me, I didn't do it for you Mademoiselle. I did it for your mother. Had it been anyone else, I would have left her there," he said coldly.

"I don't believe you," she said softly with an air of defiance.

"Oh no, believe that should you ever come here again, I won't show you the kindness that I am now."

"But what about Maman?"

"My debt to your mother has now been paid. She helped me and in turn I helped her child. I owe her nothing now."

"What would you do?"

"Excuse me?"

"If I came down here, what would you do?"

"I'd make you regret it, now shut your mouth!"

Meg heeded his advice and stayed quiet. She wasn't quite sure if he had meant the things he said or if he was only trying to scare her, but she knew it wouldn't be wise to try his patience at this point. Besides he couldn't stay angry forever, and when he calmed down she could see him again. Plus, she had the perfect excuse. She would need to return the clothing that he had lent her after she got a chance to wash them, and she could also give him back the mask she took from his home. She still had it, safely tucked away under her bed in a little locked box that held all of her valuable trinkets.

"Get out."

Erik's steely voice broke through her thoughts and she looked out at the shore-line in front of her. Slowly standing, Meg turned to look at him, but he would not meet her gaze.

"Now that I know you're still here, will you be making yourself known to the others?" Meg asked as she climbed out of the boat and onto the hard stone that met the water.

"By now everyone in the opera house will be aware of me."

"Why is that?"

"I sent a small note the Mademoiselle Jammes and I'm sure she has told anyone that she has run across."

"Why would you send her a note?"

"Because I do not allow childish games like that to go on in my theater!"

"Well if everyone knows, will you be making demands again?"

"It depends. I'll first have to see if my salary had been paid by the end of the month."

"And if it's not?"

"Than my managers will be receiving notes of their very own."

"Where should I tell everyone I've been?"

"If Jammes still runs her mouth like she used to, then everyone knows where you've been. I told her to tell your mother that you're safe and that as soon as you were well I'd be bringing you back. All you need to tell them is the truth without going into much detail. Now get going, I'm sure your mother's been worried."

"Thank you Erik, for everything. Even though you don't see it, you're a good person and I know you wouldn't have left me down there. You wouldn't have left any girl down there, not even Jammes," Meg said as she gave him a friendly smile before walking away.

Erik stood there, not sure of what to do. After a moment of wondering why the little ballerina did not fear him, he turned his boat around, using the tunnels to return to his home.

…

A/N

Well, that was Chapter 6, hopefully everyone liked it. And I'm sorry if Meg seemed a little out of character, but I think after everything Erik has done for her, she really wouldn't be scared of him. If he got really really angry with her, he might be able to frighten her a little bit, but not to the point where she would fear him for long.

And I know Erik must seem like he's got a really bad case of PMS because of all of his mood swings, but I figure he just doesn't know how to act around Meg. He lets his guard down without being aware of it, but then when he realizes what he's done, he's back to being short-tempered and cold to her. Plus he's also slightly confused as to the things she makes him feel. Could it be lurve? Who knows? Well, I do, and I'm sure most of you do, but our poor, sweet, dumb Erik is after all just a man and of course has absolutely no idea.

Oh, I went to the library and borrowed Phantom by Susan Kay. I'm already on page 197 and I love it! I'm not sure if I'll add any of that into the story or not, but if I do, it will only be up to his time with the gypsies. And even that would have to be changed slightly to accommodate what happened with Erik and Madame Giry in the movie version. If anyone really wants some elements from Kay's Phantom added in, let me know and I'll see if it can be worked in. It wouldn't be anything major and certainly wouldn't take away from the plot of the story, but it could be little things about his mother and such.

Ok, now onto individual responses!

TheatreAngel: I'm glad you liked the part with Jammes getting scared by the note, after all the things she did to Meg, I think she deserved it. And obviously Erik did too!

CelestialGlowEquivalence: Hmmm, Forbidden City Style sounds interesting! But you're right, I don't think Erik would do that. I checked out Kytten's page, and while Raoul and Erik might at some point develop a certain understanding, and by understanding I mean they won't try to kill each other every time they're in the same room, I don't think they'll get along quite as well as they do in her phics.

Captain Oblivious: Thank you for your review but I'm afraid I don't speak any French and therefore have no idea what you said except maybe the word history and of course Erik/Meg. I guess this is what I get for taking Spanish in High School, though the only things I can say in that are: Hello, Goodbye, Bathroom Please, and I have my pants today, though why my teacher thought that would be a useful sentence I'll never know.

dancing-by-moonlight: I'm glad you liked Raoul defending Erik, I was afraid people might think that because of that, Raoul is now ok with everything Erik has done and might even like him. He still can't stand Erik, and probably never will, but he knows not to trust Jammes so he really has no choice but to believe the other man. I know that Christine knowing Erik's name does seem a little strange, but in the book she knew his name for a while. For some reason, I always thought that when Christine was told to sing for Andre and Firmin and they asked her the name of her tutor and she didn't know, that she would want to find out. I think that would have happened somewhere in the missing time during her singing for the managers and going on later that night. In my mind, she would have went down to pray and Erik might have congratulated her on getting the lead. At that point I think she would have asked for his name. As far as her still being traumatized and scared, I debated that for a while before finally going with this. In many Erik/Meg phics that I've read, Christine always seems to either be scared to death of Erik for the rest of her life, even if he's only mentioned in conversation, or completely hateful towards him. I wanted to do something a little different, and I also think that she pities him so much that she can't be that frightened of him. She'd still be scared if he tried to take her again, but she wouldn't turn into a sobbing mess just by stepping foot into the opera house. I'll try to put in a little Raoul/Christine because for some reason my twisted little mind actually likes them as a couple. They just seem to be made for each other, much like how Erik and Meg go perfectly together, well to me anyway.

avid reader: I'm glad you liked the part with Jammes.

PhantomPadfoot: Thank you so much for the review and for recommending Phantom. As I mentioned earlier I already love it and I can see how you would say it's twice as good as Leroux's novel.

Since everyone seemed to like Jammes getting a taste of her own medicine so much, I'll have to think of more ways to frighten/possibly torture her. Maybe not painful torture, but definitely some sexy Erik with his threatening notes torture. Thanks again for reading and I'll try to have the next chapter done quickly.


	7. The Mirror

Chapter 7

The Mirror

Meg returned that morning through the mirror in Christine's old dressing room, the only way she knew for certain that led to the theater. As soon as the glass was moved aside, she was immediately embraced in a hug by her mother.

"Are you alright? What happened to you?" Madame Giry asked, still clinging to her daughter.

"I'm fine, I…" Meg trailed off when she noticed two other people standing in the room.

"Hello Meg," Christine said softly.

Meg stood there in shock for a few moments before rushing over to her best friend, hugging her tightly. Christine hugged her back, happy to see that their friendship hadn't faded in the few months she had been gone.

"It's so good to see you," Meg finally said as she pulled herself away from Christine. "And you as well Monsieur le Vicomte."

"Please Meg, I think we know each other well enough that such formalities are not necessary. I would like it very much if you would just call me Raoul."

Meg nodded her head in agreement. "I don't understand though, what are you doing here?"

"We came to see the opera last night, remember, I wrote to you saying that we would come."

"That's right, it must have slipped my mind. But what are you still doing here? The show was over last night and you're way too early for tonight's performance."

"After the show was over I went to talk to your mother. I was curious since Jammes was dancing your part. I couldn't leave when I found out you were missing, so Raoul and I decided that we would help look for you. We were actually going to leave the opera house and search around Paris when Jammes came screaming down the hall. She had a note from…"

"From Erik, I know. He told me when he brought me back this morning," Meg said casually.

Raoul, Christine, and Madame Giry all exchanged a look at Meg's indifferent attitude.

"Meg," Christine began softy. "In his note he said that you were hurt and he was taking care of you, is that true?"

"Of course it is, what reason would he have to lie?"

"Well, what happened exactly? We've only heard Jammes' version of the story."

Meg sighed and began to relate the events to her friends and mother. They all listened carefully, trying to figure out exactly what Erik hoped to gain by simultaneously helping Meg and revealing that he was still alive.

What was most surprising to them though, was when Meg told them that at first she had found Erik annoying and rude. Never would they have thought these would be words to describe the Phantom.

"I don't understand why he would help you though, it goes completely against his nature," Raoul said.

"He told me he owed it to Maman. Because she helped him years ago."

"But why take you with him? He could have just taken you back to your room."

"I don't know. I think he regrets it though," she said softly, a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Why do you think that?" Christine asked, more than a little worried by her friend's tone.

"Because this morning it seemed like he was doing everything he could to drive me away."

"What did he do?" Madame Giry asked curiously.

"He yelled and tried to threaten me. That's what the strange part was, he threatened me and told me I would regret it if I ever came back, but he never said what he would do. I think he was just trying to scare me off. I just don't understand, he was civil until this morning."

"Did something happen?" Christine was looking at her curiously, though why, Meg wasn't sure.

"Sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"When I got up this morning, I felt a lot better. Erik told me when I was well enough to travel, he would take me back to the opera house. Just to make sure my legs wouldn't give out again-"

"Again!" Madame Giry said sternly.

"Yes Maman. The first time was when I woke up after my fall. I didn't know where I was right away, so I pulled the curtains back and then I knew. I tried to look for a way out, but I thought it would be impossible. I started to think that I would never get out and then I couldn't stand any more. I guess Erik heard me walking around because he was right behind me. He caught me before I could fall and hurt myself even worse. Later, after he gave me something to eat, I asked him to bring me back. When he told me he wouldn't I got angry and demanded that he take me home. He said I wasn't well enough, so to prove him wrong I got up and walked to him. And then my legs gave out again. And of course he caught me, again, and treated me like a child."

"Are you sure you're feeling better now?" Madame Giry was watching her daughter like a hawk, afraid that she would collapse at a moments notice.

"I'm fine Maman. There's no need for you to worry."

"You're my daughter, my dear, I'm afraid that I'll always worry about you."

"What happened after you got up this morning?" Christine asked, reminding her friend of the story she had been telling before.

"Oh, right. I went looking for him after I figured that he would have no reason not to take me home. I found him asleep in his room."

"Did you wake him up?"

"Not on purpose. I sat with him and watched him. I don't know why, but I did. He woke up when I touched his mask. I wasn't trying to take it off, but I don't think he believed me," she said, deliberately leaving out what she had said to him as he slept.

Christine was definitely concerned as she listened to her best friend finish her story. The look of longing in her eyes, the sadness in her voice. Meg was infatuated with the Phantom; much in the same way she had been when she thought Erik to be an angel.

"Raoul, Madame Giry, would it be ok if I talked to Meg alone for a few minutes?" Christine asked.

Raoul nodded and left the room, while Madame Giry stood hesitantly for a moment before following the Vicomte out the door.

"What's wrong Christine?"

"Meg," Christine began, though now that she had the girl's full attention she wasn't sure where to begin. "Did anything else happen down there?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. Christine, what's going on?"

"How do you…uh…feel about Erik?"

"To be honest, I didn't like him very much. He was so annoying when I first woke up, but then after I told him about Jammes he seemed much more kind."

"What did you tell him?"

"Well when I first asked to go back and I almost fell, he carried me to bed. I was still insisting to go back and he told me that it was already too late for me to go on anyway. I was so mad at Jammes; I must have said something out loud because he asked me about her. It was strange, when he asked me I just wanted to tell him everything. I think I started to fall asleep while I was talking, everything seems a little hazy. I did have a nice dream that night though, I dreamt that Erik was my friend and he was there whenever I needed him."

"Meg, I think you should stay away from Erik."

"But why? He needs someone, just like me."

"I know how you feel, I pity him too but-"

"I don't pity him," Meg said flatly.

"What?" Christine asked, not quite sure she had heard her friend.

"I said, I don't pity him. I think it's horrible that he had to be born like that when all it caused him was pain, but I don't pity him. I pity the people that can't see the man that he is," Meg said, walking to the door and opening it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go rehearse. I go on tonight and I want to make sure I'm ready."

Christine didn't know what else to do except watch her best friend leave. Talking to her wouldn't do any good, not when she was already so powerfully drawn to him. Just like Christine had been once, not so long ago.

"Oh Meg, please be careful," Christine said silently, knowing first hand how far Erik would go to protect what he thought was his.

…

Instead of going back to his home, as had been his original intention, Erik turned the boat around and went after Meg. He wasn't exactly sure what compelled him to follow the little ballerina, although he managed to convince himself that he did it simply to ensure that she would not pass out again. Once he was certain that she was safe and back with her mother, then he could leave.

When he reached the mirror and saw Meg talking about what had happened that morning in his room, he was ready to go, but stood rooted to the spot when he heard Christine ask for a moment to talk to the tiny blonde alone. He wondered what could be so important that she could not speak in front of the others. As soon as the Vicomte and Madame Giry were gone, Christine began to question Meg.

Erik let himself lean against the cold stone walls and slide down to the floor. Even after trying so hard to forget the brunette beauty, he couldn't help but sit and watch her. She was here again, in his opera house. So close in fact that all he had to do was slide the mirror away and he could reach out and touch her.

She could be his again. All he had to do was move the mirror. Erik sighed. Oh how he longed to have her by his side again, but he knew that could never happen. Even if he did give in to his desire to take the girl, she wouldn't be happy. In fact, she'd more than likely hate him for the rest of her days.

"I know how you feel, I pity him too but-"

"I don't pity him."

Erik's head snapped to the mirror, those simple words drawing him out of his thoughts. Had he heard her correctly? Apparently he hadn't been the only one to wonder this as Meg repeated herself for Christine's benefit.

Unconsciously Erik let his left hand rest against the mirror as he listened to Meg tell the soprano the only ones she pitied were those that could not see him for what he was. No one, not even Christine or Madame Giry, had ever shown him anything but pity, or in most cases, revulsion. The ballet mistress had taken him in out of pity while the singer had only given him his first taste of what love felt like out of pity.

But then there was Meg, who had nothing in her heart but compassion for him. She did not pity him because of his face, but instead gave her pity to the ones like Christine who could not look past it.

"Oh Meg, please be careful."

At Christine's softly spoken words, Erik stood from his seat on the floor and made his way back through the tunnels. When he woke that morning, he wanted nothing more than to be rid of the Prima Ballerina and any reminder of Christine that she brought with her. Now though, he wasn't quite sure what he wanted. Although Christine's confession that she pitied him did set one thing straight; the love he once had for her was slowly fading, and he wasn't quite sure that he liked it.

…

"Please be very careful with these."

"I assure you Little Meg, that I know how to do the laundry without hurting the clothes," Madame Delacroix said as she took the small bundle from the ballerina.

"I know you do, but these are very special, so just please use extra care. Oh, and I think the shirt might be silk, you know how to clean that, right?"

"Yes, I do, many of the costumes I clean are made of silk. Do not worry, I'll have them cleaned before the night is over. You can collect them after the performance."

"Ok, thank you. But please, just be-"

"Yes dear, I'll be careful, I promise you. But out of curiosity, whose are these?"

"Umm…" Meg didn't know what to tell the woman, she surely couldn't say that they belonged to the Phantom.

"Oh dear, I believe I know exactly who these belong to."

Meg glanced at the older woman, her eyes wide. How could she know? But then Erik's words came back to her. 'By now everyone in the opera house will be aware of me.'

"These belonged to your father, didn't they child?"

Meg let out the breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "Yes," she began, greatly relieved, "they were his."

Madame Delacroix gave her a small, sad smile. "I thought you had outgrown wearing his clothes when you felt lonely."

"I…I guess sometimes I still need to feel close to him," Meg answered slowly, even though the last time she had worn her father's clothing had been over five years ago. "I really need to get going now, I have to practice."

"Don't worry child, I'll take good care of your father's things."

…

"Mademoiselle Giry! How are you?"

"I do hope you're better."

Meg looked up from her seat on the floor to stare into the eager faces of the managers. She had been stretching out her stiff muscles and hadn't even heard them come up.

"I'm fine. I'm well enough to dance tonight if that's what you mean."

"No, well yes, but we were both worried when we heard you were taken by the Phantom," Firmin said as he offered the girl a hand.

Meg took it and let him pull her up. "Don't worry, he didn't do anything except take me in and bring me back. In fact, I barely ever saw him."

"If you don't mind me asking," Andre said. "Why exactly did he take you in?"

"I don't really know. He didn't talk to me much. But he did say that he didn't like the childish games Jammes was playing going on in his opera house."

"Well I can assure you Jammes has been properly dealt with. Her pay has been cut and she is suspended from dancing until further notice," Firmin said loudly, as if he was trying to reassure the Phantom more than Meg.

"Please Messieurs, don't you think that's a little much? Suspension is one thing, but you can't take some of her pay."

"I don't understand," Andre began. "After everything she did to you, you don't think she deserves to be reprimanded?"

"It's not that, I just think the suspension is enough," Meg said. She might not like Jammes in the least, but she remembered all to well how little the background dancers made. The only way Meg had been able to afford to do other things like attending the Masquerade Ball and going to eat at restaurants with Christine was because of the money her mother brought in. The girls barely made enough as it was to buy toe shoes, leotards, and other various dance supplies while still being able to pay for their meals.

Contrary to what most people believed, the opera house did not provide the singers, dancers, musicians, etc. with all their meals. In fact, the only times when breakfast and dinner were guaranteed were on performance nights, otherwise everyone had to fend for themselves.

On more than one occasion Meg had seen dancers choose new shoes over a week's worth of food. And as much as she disliked Jammes, she couldn't stand the thought of the girl going hungry simply because she did not have the money to eat.

"Perhaps we can just have her suspension stand, after all if Miss Giry thinks that's enough and she was the one harmed by Jammes' antics, then who are we to say otherwise," Firmin said to the other manager.

"Is this really what you want Mademoiselle?" Andre asked.

"It is."

"Then Jammes will be suspended for two weeks but her pay will remain the same."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome my dear, now we'll leave you to your practice," Firmin said as he and Andre left Meg in the empty ballet room.

…

"Meg, it's time to get ready," Madame Giry said as she walked into the practice room.

Meg turned around and gave her mother a faint smile. It was clear that she had been pushing herself beyond her limits. "How long before the show goes on?"

"Forty minutes. Enough time to get your hair fixed and your make up and costume on."

"How long have I been dancing," Meg asked, she always lost track of the time when she got into ballet.

"Almost five hours."

"I hope I'm ready."

"We wouldn't have made you the Prima Ballerina if you weren't. But after everything you've been through, do you think you're strong enough to go on tonight?"

"Yes Maman. Everything is going to be fine. I know it will be."

"Then let's get you ready," Madame Giry said, leading her daughter from the room.

…

A/N

Well, there you have it, Chapter 7. I really like this chapter for some reason and hope you all do too. I had a good time writing it, especially the scene between Meg and Christine. I always thought they should have had a few more scenes together in the movie, just so their friendship would come across better.

And what did everyone think of the costume mistress/laundress Madame Delacroix? Which, by the way for anyone wondering, is pronounced Dell-ah-croy. She's not a major character or anything, but at least she's nice to Meg when all the ballet girls are so mean to her.

Ok, it's individual response time!

Captain Oblivious: If you want to read Phantom, try your local library, that's where I found a copy. It's so good that I'm afraid you won't want to put it down once you start reading. In fact, I'm resisting the urge to go back to my library and tell them that I "lost" the book. I guess if I really want a copy that's in pretty good condition I'll have to shell out about a hundred bucks.

amycad: Thank you so much for your review.

fictiongurl: I love Meg/Erik too, obviously, lol. I totally agree though, Meg is underappreciated. I always thought a little more could have been done with her character in the musical/movie.

TheatreAngel: I'm glad you liked Erik being confused, I just thought it fit his character so well. Although I must admit I was a little worried that people might not like his mood changes all that much. Maybe I'll have Meg give him some Midol next time she sees him, that should get rid of his PMS.

I Love Gerry: I'm glad you like the fact that Erik and Meg haven't gotten together right away. I just hope you feel the same way later when they're still not together, lol. I do promise that by the end of this story however, they will be together. It might take a while to get to that point, with plenty of angst thrown in, but they will get there.

dancing-by-moonlight: I think I should take this review and show it to my old high school teachers! A Great Mind would definitely not be one of the phrases they would use to describe me. More often than not, I always got the pitying "Poor, dumb child" look, lol. Not that I did bad in high school, my problem was I would speak before thinking. And this resulted in many many stupid things said on my part. I hope you didn't think Christine was too out of character in this chapter. I was trying to get back in touch with a bit of her and Meg before Erik and Raoul and everything that happened after that. I just absolutely love their friendship. I know there was hardly any Raoul/Christine in this chapter, but I'm hoping I'll get a chance to fit some in future chapters. And as for Erik, yes, he's very confused. And unfortunately, he can only continue to get more confused and irritable before he finally realizes what he's feeling for Meg.

CelestialGlowEquivalence: I'm glad you didn't think Meg was out of character, I was worried about that. Although I always seem to worry if I've made someone out of character.

avid reader: I'm really glad you liked Chapter 6, hopefully you like this chapter as well.


	8. A New Patron

Chapter 8

A New Patron

Meg soon regretted ever telling her mother that she would be fine. She had just finished the first act and already her head was throbbing. If that wasn't enough, every jump she made left her feeling like her brain would explode.

Gritting her teeth, Meg held her tight bun in place as she swiftly pulled the decorative clips from her hair. She gave the clips to one of the backstage helpers, while she felt another girl put the new set in. Meg winced as she felt the sharp metal scrape against her cuts.

With her hair ready, she stripped out of her costume and quickly put the next one on. It was brightly colored in reds, oranges, and golds.

The girl that took the hair clips hurried back with make up and began to furiously apply it to Meg's face. The gentleness she had used before the show went on was gone. Now it was all a rush to get everything perfect and beat the curtain.

"Ok, you're ready," she said as she stepped out of the way, letting Meg make her way to wings.

The curtain rose and Isabella stood in the center, her character Elissa holding the fake severed head. Meg waited for her to finish her solo before she ran onto stage and began her dance, the chorus coming right behind her.

She made her way over to Isabella and took the head from her, raising it in her arms like the prize it was supposed to be, all the while still dancing with a passion she had never felt before. This was her chance to prove herself to everyone and she wasn't about to waste it.

Her whole life she had waited to be the one dancing center stage, and now she finally was. She put everything into her grand solo as the chorus sang. She wanted to make her mother proud, she wanted to show Jammes and the other ballet girls the talent they thought she lacked, but most of all, she wanted to do this for herself. To show that she was more than the ballet mistress' daughter or Christine Daae's best friend. She was no longer the invisible girl in everyone else's shadow; she was finally her own person.

Taking a deep breath, Meg waited a moment for the music to swell before performing her grand leap. She landed on her knees in front of Sebastian, the new lead tenor that played Hannibal, and held the severed head up to him as she kept her own bowed.

The rest of the acts went fairly well, although more than once Isabella hissed at Meg to stay out of her light. The new diva wasn't as bad as Carlotta had been, but she was a close second.

Finally the last act was over and Meg had never been so glad of anything in her life. She was beyond exhausted and every muscle in her body seemed to be screaming for sleep. As much as she wished she could just crawl into bed, she knew she couldn't. She had told herself after the performance she would bring Erik's things back down to him, and she intended to do it, no matter how tired she was.

"Meg, come with me for a moment, the managers wish to see you." Madame Giry said as she helped her tired daughter out of one of the chairs backstage.

Meg sighed wearily as she followed her mother, she had been ready to take her pointe shoes off, but now it seemed she would have to wait. "What do they want Maman?"

"They want to introduce you, Isabella, and Sebastian to a potential patron. Now remember to be polite and courteous."

"I will Maman," Meg said, knowing they needed a new patron, and soon. The money she was sure Raoul and Christine had put into repairs was nearly gone, meaning they had to have a patron if they wished to stay open.

"And here is our Prima Ballerina, Mademoiselle Meg Giry," Andre said as he saw Meg arrive. "Miss Giry, this is the Comte Gabriel LaCharite and his sister Cecily."

Meg smiled and gave a polite curtsey as her eyes caught Cecily's. She'd seen the girl around the opera house before. When the repairs were being done, she would come at least once a week, questioning anyone she found about the Phantom of the Opera. Meg, along with the others, had just assumed she was a nosey reporter.

"Ah, it seems you know me," Cecily said sweetly as she smiled at Meg.

"Yes…I've seen you before."

"I'm sure you have, I was here a lot during the summer. When I heard about the tragedy, I had to come see for myself. I wanted to know what happened, so I asked around. Everyone I talked to told me about the Phantom and it just seemed so interesting I couldn't help but come back."

"I'm afraid once my sister sets her mind to something, there's no changing it. Which is why I'm here. I'd like to invest in the Opera Populaire."

"Oh that's wonderful news! Come, we'll show you around," Firmin said as he began to lead the Comte to the backstage area.

"I'll come with you, I'm sure he would love to have me help," Isabella said as she trailed after the managers and the new patron.

"I see she's found a new victim already," Sebastian said under his breath.

Meg gave a small giggle. It was no secret that Isabella was instantly interested in any rich gentleman that came along.

"Oh Meg, while my brother goes and makes arrangements, you simply must tell me what it's like here. I want to know everything!" Cecily said as she took Meg by the arm and began leading her off stage.

Meg grimaced as her aching feet protested, but she knew better than to say anything. If all she had to do was keep the Comte's sister company for a while, then it would be worth it to ensure that the opera house would continue to stay open.

"Well, what would you like to know?"

"There's one thing I really want to know, but I'm afraid it would be impolite to ask."

"It's ok, you can ask me."

"I heard some of the ballet girls talking while Gabriel and I were waiting for your mother to fetch you. Is it true that you were kidnapped by the Phantom? Does he really exist? I always thought it was rumor, but now the more things I find out, I'm not so sure."

"Trust me, it's not a rumor. You and your brother would be wise to remember that," Meg said, recalling the various "accidents" that had occurred when Erik's demands were not taken seriously. Front and center in her mind were the deaths of Joseph Buquet and Piangi.

"I will, but were you really kidnapped by him?"

Meg rolled her eyes, though luckily Cecily didn't see. It really did seem like the girl had a one track mind. "No, I wasn't kidnapped. But he did look after me when I wasn't well."

"Oh, what happened?" Cecily was clearly fascinated, the girl looking at her with wide eyes.

Meg couldn't help but smile at the attention she was receiving. No one had ever given her as much thought as the ballerina thin red head was. And the best part was, she could tell she wasn't just being kind, she truly was interested in what Meg had to say.

Taking the Comte's sister back to her dressing room, Meg told the girl how everything started with Little Jammes. Cecily sat on the heavily padded bench, hanging on every word Meg said as the dancer stepped behind the changing screen.

Pausing for a moment in her narrative, Meg gave a happy little sigh as she finally stripped out her binding costume and toe shoes. She pulled every last clip, pin, and barrette from her hair and let the golden locks tumble around her shoulders. The assortment of necklaces, bracelets, earrings (both real and the ones that screwed on), and bangles came off next as Meg picked up where she left off.

As she continued on with how he had treated her kindly, and not cruel as so many of dancers were spreading around, she pulled on a pale green cotton dress. She knew her mother and the managers certainly wouldn't be happy that she had dressed like a poor peasant, but at the moment Meg could care less. She wouldn't be able to stand any more time in some tight, pinching dress that made normal breathing hard.

Slipping on a pair of matching cotton shoes with a soft leather sole, similar in design to ballet slippers, Meg walked out into the middle of the room. She had just finished her telling Cecily of her little adventure below the opera house as she went over to her make up table where a small basin of water sat. Dipping the cloth that sat next to it in the cool liquid, she began to scrub the heavy gold make up from her face.

"I hope my dress doesn't offend you, but I'm very tired and I really couldn't bear to be in a corset any longer," Meg said as she looked up into the mirror, her reflection showing half her face pure and clean and the other half bright and colorful.

"Of course it doesn't offend me. I only wish that I could be as free to dress like that. Layers of lace and silk might be lovely to look at, but they're horribly hot and I hate how binding everything is made. I envy you so much."

"But why?" Meg couldn't understand how anyone could envy her, especially a girl with a rich family that could have anything she wanted.

"Because you get to dance all the time and wear wonderfully elaborate costumes, but then when the show's over, you can be yourself. You don't have to walk around dressed like a doll to impress others. Besides all that, your life just seems so exciting! I mean, look at all the things that go on here. And you got to meet the Phantom!"

"My life is hardly as grand as you make it sound, but thank you anyway."

"For what?" Cecily asked, clearly confused.

"For paying attention to me," she said as she turned from the mirror, the gaudy make up now completely gone from her face. "Not many people have ever given me a second thought before, and those that have usually aren't very nice to me."

"Well then, I guess that makes it clear."

"Makes what clear?" Now Meg was the one confused.

"You'll have to be my best friend. I've never had one before, at least not a real one. All the girls I know were only my friends because our parents made us be together. But you'll be my friend, won't you Meg?"

"Yes, I'd like that very much," she said sincerely. She really wanted someone who she could talk to again and confide her secrets to. There was still Christine, but now that she was married to Raoul it was doubtful the two would get to spend as much time as they used to together.

"Oh thank you!" Cecily cried as she jumped off the bench and embraced Meg tightly. Meg returned the hug a little awkwardly, but the flame haired girl soon let go. "I really must be going now; I don't want Gabriel to worry. I promise I'll come back to see you soon."

Cecily gave her a wide grin before quickly disappearing through the door, leaving Meg feeling happier then she had in a long time. She wouldn't have to be lonely anymore, not now that she had a friend.

…

A/N

And that's Chapter 8. Hope you all liked it. And what do you guys think of the Comte LaCharite and his sister Cecily? I wonder what kind of trouble these two can get into.

Captain Oblivious: That's cool that you work at a movie theater, that sounds like such as awesome job. Especially since it seems like you get a lot of free time to yourself. I'm glad you like it that Meg doesn't pity Erik, and don't worry, he'll never think of Christine as a regret or mistake. Erik's simply starting to realize that Christine could have never loved him because she pitied him too much.

amycad: Thank you for the wonderful compliment! I hope you like this chapter even though there's no Meg/Erik in it.

CelestialGlowEquivalence: You're right, I never got the feeling that they were best friends from the way their friendship was presented in the movie. They seemed more like friendly acquaintances if anything.

TheatreAngel: Thanks for the review! I'm glad I'm not the only one that wanted more Christine and Meg friendship in the movie.

I Love Gerry: I totally agree that Erik doesn't need anyone else pitying him. I think it would completely push him over the edge if Meg pitied him, especially since she treats him like a friend. And don't worry, seeing that my favorite Erik/Meg stories have been updated makes my day too.

avid reader: Thank you so much for the review, I'm glad you liked Chapter 7.

Thanks again everybody, I love hearing from you all. Oh, and I will be accepting donations of Midol to give to Erik. That way I can try to get rid of his PMS/attitude problem. Just leave some Midol, or maybe even some tranquilizers in your review and I'll make sure he gets them.


	9. The New Opera

Chapter 9

The New Opera

Meg gave a grunt of frustration as she waded through the cold water under the Opera Populaire. She had long since abandoned any hope of keeping her long cotton dress dry. At first she had held the garment up to her knees, but as the water got deeper and deeper, finally stopping at her waist, she knew it was pointless. Not only that, but she couldn't hold the skirt up high enough to be able to keep Erik's clothing out of the water.

As she felt the water begin to lower slightly, Meg smiled in relief. After twenty minutes, she had finally made it back to Erik's home. Happy to see that he hadn't lowered the gate, she climbed out of the lake and onto the equally cold floor. Sitting her small bundle off to the side, Meg wrung her dress, trying to get as much water out of it as she could. The now slightly darker dress was still soaked and clung heavily to her curves, but at least it was no longer dripping.

Taking her shoes from the top of the pile, she slipped them on to her ice cold feet and bent once again to retrieve the things she had brought with her. Meg immediately jerked upright as she felt her hair being pulled tightly. She already knew who it was before he spun her around, but what she didn't expect was the cruel anger displayed in his burning green eyes.

"I thought I made myself clear when I told you never to return here!"

"Erik, you're hurting me," Meg said softly, determined not to let him intimidate her.

"I'd get rid of that fearless attitude if I were you, more than likely it will get you killed one day," he said as he disentangled his fingers from the soft blonde hair.

"I'm not fearless; I'm just not frightened by you."

"Then you're extremely foolish."

"Maybe, maybe not."

Sighing heavily, Erik stepped away from her. "Why are you here Meg?"

"I had to return your things," she said simply as a small shiver ran through her body. She wrapped her bare arms around herself, though it didn't do much good.

"Here, take this," he said as he handed her his cloak.

Meg accepted the garment gratefully and slipped it over her shoulders, immediately feeling warmer.

"I thought that had been destroyed."

"What?" Meg asked as she turned to see what he was talking about. Her eyes followed his to the small pile of clothes, his white, porcelain half-mask sitting on top.

"I found it when I came down here looking for you and Christine-"

Meg's eyes widened as she realized what she had just said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Its fine," he said with a dismissive gesture. For some reason, hearing her name didn't bother him like it once used to. "Thank you, for bringing my things."

"You're welcome," she said softly. "I can turn around if you want to put your other mask on."

"Of course, go on and turn around. You wouldn't want this image burned into your innocent little eyes," he said bitterly as he snatched his mask off the floor.

"That's not what I meant and you know it! I'm not Christine! I'm not Jammes! And I'm certainly not some delicate little thing that's going to faint at the sight of you! The only reason I said I would turn around was to respect your privacy!" Meg yelled, her face flushed and hazel green eyes full of anger.

Taking a moment, she let her breathing calm before addressing him again. "You'll get your wish now. I won't come back. You won't have to be bothered with me ever again." She took the cloak off and threw it at his feet. "Good bye Monsieur Phantom."

Meg turned away quickly and began to wade through the underground lake once more. Even as the hot tears streamed down her face, she didn't make a sound. She couldn't let him hear her cry; she didn't want him to know what she had been reduced to.

Wiping her small hands furiously across her eyes, Meg felt frustrated. She didn't even know why she was crying. Normally things like this wouldn't get to her. No matter how mean and cruel the other ballet dancers were to her, she had never cried. But somehow Erik's words hurt more than anything Jammes and her friends had done. He didn't trust her. She'd given him no reason to doubt her intentions, but yet he still didn't trust her.

And this hurt far more than she cared to admit. She had begun to think of him as a friend. But now it was painfully obvious that he didn't return her feelings. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself forward, never looking back.

…

"No! I will not do it! Have you seen the lyrics to this…this…trash!"

Meg glanced up from tying her pointe shoes. Isabella was having a tantrum over something or another, Meg wasn't really sure. She hadn't been paying attention and the managers were doing their best to keep their voices quiet. Obviously Isabella didn't care about how her now screeching voice seemed to carry all over the theater.

'I bet Erik can even hear her,' she thought with a smirk, before suddenly remembering how things had been left between the two of them. Drawing in a shaky breath, Meg rose delicately to her feet.

Two weeks had gone by since she had seen Erik, but even now when she thought of him, it was enough to make her want to run back to her room and cry. She missed him terribly, which in her mind she knew was silly. She didn't even know him, not really. He took care of her for a few days when she wasn't well, it's not like they had been the best of friends for years.

But yet she was drawn to him, for reasons completely unknown to her. Losing him felt like she had lost a small part of herself. She knew it sounded crazy, but it was the only way to explain the sadness in her heart.

Her mother had always told her that somewhere in the world, everyone had another person that they shared a soul with. Christine had found the other half of her soul in Raoul, and Meg thought that she had found hers in the mysterious Phantom. They were both so lonely and desperate for friendship and love, that Meg was sure Erik had the other part of her soul.

Now she knew better though. Erik turned her friendship away on more than one occasion, wanting absolutely nothing to do with her. He couldn't have her soul, not when he despised her so much.

"This is vulgar! I will not sing garbage!"

"Oh come on Izzy, it's not that bad," Sebastian said as he joined the diva's side.

Meg looked on curiously, wondering what could possibly have the Prima Donna so upset. After all the fits she had thrown about doing Hannibal, she was surprised Isabella wasn't delighted at the chance of doing a new play.

"I told you not to call me that! My name is Isabella, not Izzy. And it is that bad, though I wouldn't expect you to complain. You get to run your hands all over me. I will not play a whore!"

"Madame, I assure you, you are not playing a whore," Firmin said, trying desperately to calm her down.

"You are playing his lover, they're hardly the same. It's basically the same part you did in Hannibal," Andre spoke up.

"I hated that part! And no one even recognized my talent! All the papers could talk about was 'The Amazing and Beautiful Marguerite Giry' and what a discovery she was. Those critics don't know true talent when they see it."

Meg stared on, slightly taken back. Had the papers really called her amazing? She had never taken much interest in what the newspapers said aside from the front page headlines.

"Just think though, now you have a chance to show them all if you do this opera," Andre said, appealing to her vanity.

"I do not care! I will not do it! Whose idea was it anyway to perform this…thing?"

"That would be me."

Meg looked sharply behind her, hearing the voice. Cecily smiled brightly as if nothing was wrong and looped arms with Meg, walking the short distance to where Isabella was standing.

"Do you have a problem with the opera to be performed?"

"Yes, I do. This actually implies that my character goes off to sleep with him," Isabella said, pointing an accusing finger at Sebastian, as if it was his fault.

"I'm well aware of what it implies, but that doesn't change the fact that I am interested in seeing this play. Now, will you be performing it or not?"

"No, I won't. So you can find another opera for me to perform. Perhaps Faust? Or Hamlet, I believe I would make a charming Ophelia."

"No, we'll be doing this one still. Everyone will have a week to rehearse and then it will show for two weeks, just like Hannibal. So that will give you three weeks of vacation time, enjoy it. And when you come back, I would be prepared to sing in the next opera, because if you turn down another one, you will be fired."

Isabella looked indignant, but didn't dare to try and argue back. "Fine, I will see you in three weeks then." She spared a cross glance at the managers before storming offstage, not in the least bit happy.

"Ok, who's her understudy?"

Sebastian gave a short bark of laughter, while the managers looked at each other uncomfortably.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, but you'll find no understudy for Izzy," Sebastian said, a slight smile still present on his face.

"And why not?"

"She finds it to be an insult to her talent that we would have anyone else prepared to go on for her."

"There has to be someone that can sing for her."

"Unfortunately," Firmin began. "After the accident, many of our talented singers, dancers, and musicians left. We had a hard enough time as it was hiring new people. There really isn't anyone that has the voice or the presence to sing for her."

"Yes there is!" Cecily said excitedly, her bright grey eyes wide.

"Who?" Andre asked, unable to think of any girl under their employment.

"Meg," she said simply as she pulled the startled girl forward a little.

"What? No, I can't-"

"She's a dancer, not a singer," Firmin stated.

"You used to be a chorus girl, didn't you?" Cecily asked, ignoring the taller manager.

"Yes, but-"

"And wasn't that other girl that sang here sometimes, Christine Daae I believe her name was, wasn't she a chorus girl?"

"Yes, she was, but that doesn't mean-"

"If she could do it, then I'm sure you can."

"I'm not a soprano though. I'm an alto, and not even a very high one at that."

"That doesn't matter, I'm sure the range of the score can be lowered slightly."

"I don't know…"

"You must be able to sing, otherwise you wouldn't have been in the chorus. Besides, you're so passionate when you dance that if you use that same energy for singing you'll be great. I'm sure of it."

"Why didn't Isabella want to do it though? Is it really that bad?"

"Some of the lyrics are a little suggestive, but I don't find them as horrible as she makes them out to be."

"I don't even know what opera we're doing?"

Cecily gave a big smile, her eyes shining. "I've wanted to see it ever since the articles in the paper, so we're doing Don Juan Triumphant."

Meg felt all the air leave her body in a rush. Erik's opera! They were doing Erik's opera! And not only that, she was to play the lead role. The part Erik wrote especially for Christine.

"Well, I'll leave everyone to get the arrangements taken care of. You have a week, that should be plenty of time for the costumes and the learning of lines."

Cecily gave a small wave of goodbye and left, happy that everything seemed to be going so perfectly.

"There's no way I can do this," Meg said firmly, turning her attention to the managers.

"You have to, Mademoiselle LaCharite specifically wants you," Andre said.

"After what happened last time though, do you really think the tickets will sell?"

"It doesn't matter if they sell or not," Firmin said, though Meg could tell it was hard for him to get the words out. "The important thing is keeping Mademoiselle LaCharite happy. If we don't do this opera, there's the very real possibility that the Comte will remove his patronage. And if that happens my dear, I'm afraid we're all out of jobs."

"But what about the Phantom? Aren't you afraid that he'll be upset that we're performing his opera? And that I'm the lead and not Christine?"

"Don't you think that we tried reasoning with her? She wouldn't listen. She's determined to see this opera even if the Phantom is unhappy with it."

"She even told me she hopes to see the Phantom on opening night! Can you believe that? I'm beginning to think that the girl might not be all there," Andre said, gesturing to his head.

"No, that's not it. She's just looking for a little adventure," Meg said, defending her friend.

"Well I wish she would find her adventure somewhere else."

"Now, Mademoiselle Giry, Monsieur Aucoin, if you would go see Madame Delacroix she can help fit you into your costumes. I only hope she can get them fixed in time since you're a great deal thinner than our old Don Juan and you are a good five inches shorter than Miss Daae. Go on now, go, go. We certainly don't have all day," Firmin said as waved the lead tenor and ballerina turned Prima Donna off the stage.

…

A/N

Hey guys, sorry it took so long to get the next chapter up but my work schedule has been crazy. I've had no free time and I've only been able to get on the computer long enough to check my emails. I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to have the next one written and up soon.

CelestialGlowEquivalence: I'm glad you like Cecily being Meg's friend. I thought Meg needed someone around that she could talk to. She still has Christine, but Meg was so lonely that she needed another friend. And don't worry, Cecily won't force everything about the Phantom out of Meg, and even if she tried to, Meg wouldn't betray Erik that way.

Captain Oblivious: Cecily and Gabriel, they're quite the interesting pair. As far as being able to trust them and Gabriel being Meg's future love interest, we'll just have to wait and see. Even though he wasn't in it much, hope you enjoyed the little bit of Erik in this chapter.

MidnightPrincess: A cocker spaniel, lol. I couldn't stop laughing when I read that. I'm glad you like that Meg doesn't pity Erik, he has too much pity already, he doesn't need anymore.

Kchan88: The good thing about the movie never really getting into Meg's character is the fact that I have a little bit of creative license to make her how I want to. Although I honestly think she would be curious and spunky, sort of the opposite of Christine. I'm going to try to put some more Raoul/Christine moments into this phic in addiction to the Meg/Erik moments. I'm so glad you like my story so far, please keep reading.

erikslove16: Thanks for the review, I hope this chapter will satisfy you.

avid reader: Thank you for reviewing and enjoy the chapter.

Thanks so much for all the reviews you guys, it makes my day. As a side note, has anyone seen the new Star Wars movie yet? I've already seen it twice and all I've got to say is that it's absolutely amazing. Although I did embarrass my friends when I started bawling at the end of the movie in a crowded theater.


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